It's Only Logical
by Le Redhead Merchant
Summary: A wandering musician finds herself in Mineral Town, via an anonymous invitation to play at a festival. She's suspicious, but goes through with it- and forgets to leave afterwards. Mostly because she finds people worth sticking around for.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

_Crazy Train_

She stood, umbrella poised over her shoulder, white knuckles clutching a worn suitcase; shuddering, the patter of the chilled rain both comforted her and unnerved her. The first day had always been hard, she recalled. You all but expected events to go the way in your head, yet that never played out.

She'd learned three things from it: Expect the unexpected, don't proclaim yourself a friend but be friend_ly_, and never trust someone you've known for twenty-four hours.

And, it goes without saying, never to judge a book by its cover. Standing by herself, waiting on the platform, the extended wait was making it difficult to realize what was actually happening. No one ever requested she personally come to a festival, let alone be invited by another person to something. It would be a ruse. Or a false alarm. She'd discover she wasn't needed, that they have someone "better," and she'd be on her way. With a smile, of course. She always smiled and seemed happy, leading people to say she was a kind and bright young woman.

A blast of wind blew rain into her face. She put her arm up in defense, but rain still made it onto her clothes and face. She scoffed. A raindrop rolled down her straight nose, as she had a bitter thought. _I have a smiling, pretty face, but not a heart to match. I should feel bad about deceiving them. Yet... I don't. Is that so bad?_

Despite herself, curiosity was aroused within. What kind of people would she meet? She'd read somewhere that villagers in rural towns had a kindly disposition; that they'd be more welcoming to outsiders.

"Pah. Idiots," she sighed. They probably didn't know any better, though. How strange people are, to have nothing and be happier, than to have everything and thirst for more. Helping people is its own reward, they say. What does that mean? Where's the reward, if you help but only make things worse, if you help, but only receive a grimace in return, if you try to help, but get shooed away? How is that a reward? What kind of person would you have to be, to mindlessly help another, yet not question what you're actually affecting?

The more she questioned, and the more she tried to justify her own selfish actions, the more selfish she became. In the end, it was within her knowledge that this was happening, but she refused to have anyone else help her. _No one would listen,_ she thought, _people ultimately only care about themselves. Period. _

To a degree, she knew she was right. There was no such thing as a true sacrifice. There was no such notion of fairytale "true love." Not that she didn't believe in true love. It all depends on your definition of what love actually is; however, true love can't be what it isn't. Love isn't hostile; lust is hostile. She figured she'd never find anyone who fit even slightly into _her_ idea of love.

"Ah," she grunted out. Her hand cradled her forehead, which began to throb rapidly. Too much thought, too fast. She sucked in air, then slowly released through an "o"-shaped mouth. Her heart beat a tad faster than she would've liked.

Something felt odd. A silence ensued the area, feeling thick, like the humid air. She realized the rain had stopped, or at least stooped to a drizzle. Gripping the top of the umbrella pole, she slid it down, snapping it shut. A large raindrop plopped on her head. She yelped. It came from one of the black-coated metal beams of the canopy overhead, she figured. Taking a cautious step back, she stared at the empty tracks. She glanced at the sleek silver watch on her wrist.

The train was half an hour late. How lovely. At that rate, she would arrive well after midnight. Hopefully the Inn wouldn't be booked up by then, or at least be open. Hopefully they had a cot, so she wouldn't have to sleep on the floor...

Everything considered, this would be no luxury cruise. Good thing there were no intentions to stay. She glanced behind the metal beams on the far side of the tracks, drinking in a nice, long look at the remote cityscape. The middle of nowhere had better get themselves ready, because she was coming!

... Hah. As if. If anything, it'd be her getting ready for the middle of nowhere.

A far-off clinking and chugging sound bounced off her ears. She figured it was her imagination, until it blared louder, and louder still. She dared to peek down the tracks in the direction of the noise and, sure enough, a train chugged away toward the station. She stood in awe as it slowed. It screeched to a halt directly in front of the platform. That was no bullet-shaped train. That was an old-fashioned, chugga chugga choo-choo train.

She suppressed a nervous laugh. The train sat on the tracks in a welcoming way, as if beckoning her to step on. She looked around. Yep, she still stood completely alone. Nervously, step by step, she walked up to the doors of the nearest passenger car. She slid it open and stepped inside, sliding the door shut once more.

The train immediately lurched forward.

"Whoa..." she wobbled, steadying herself on a wall. The rough wood scratched against her palm.

"Ma'am, your ticket, please," a young uniformed woman extended a hand to the traveler.

At first, she thought the woman was offering to help her off the wall, but then realized she just wanted the ticket. She searched her tan waistcoat pocket, and revealed a red ticket.

The attendant snatched up the red piece of paper. She examined it closely, then smiled back at the passenger. "Thank you," she half-heartedly said, then slid the door open to the car ahead. She slipped out and closed the door.

Once she regained balance, she decided to hunt down a nice, empty seat for herself. She turned to the hallway of seats. Every two sets of seats were boxed off. _Like the train to Hogwarts,_ she thought, amused.

After passing several full rows, she found a boxed portion that was empty. She slid open the door and plopped down into a cushioned seat, sighing. Too lazy to get back up, she just dropped her umbrella on the floor and set her suitcase on the seat beside her.

Travel is tiring... But I still love it. It's exciting! she mused. It's like a storm among arid summer days. She thought of the heat, warming her up, her eyelids threatening to close.

"Hello? Oh!" a voice called into her box.

She jolted awake, ready to shoot daggers at the intruder. A lanky man stood in the doorway. Well, lanky, but he held himself with a cat-like grace. She stared at him.

He just smiled cheerily. "Is anyone sitting here?" he gestured to the seats across from her, his ruffled black-blue hair bouncing slightly with the movement.

She glared at him. Right then, she craved rest. When she was tired, there was no more Miss Nice Gal. "Look, just go away and mind your own business, okay?" she chided.

He only chuckled, "Good to know there are still plenty of rude people in the world!" With that, he promptly slid into a seat across from her.

She noted he didn't pull any smooth moves like closing the box door. _He's probably been rejected by the last seven people he's asked,_ she thought. In an awkward silence, she looked him up and down. His red argyle sweatervest over a navy collared shirt actually looked quite flattering on his form, against the silky black fabric of his pants. From his hair to his pointed features, everything about him screamed, "FELINE!"

...Weird.

In an attempt to make conversation, he began asking some light questions. "So, where you headed?"

She considered lying, but what was the use? No need to lie to a stranger. However, if he started hitting on her, he'd get the boot. "A country village called Mineral Town. You?" she replied, a casual smile creeping its way upon her lips.

"Ah, it's a bit difficult to explain," he said sheepishly.

She gave him a look in response. "O-kay..."

He twittered nervously. "Anyway... Uh, Mineral Town? I think I've been there once. Good folks, good folks. Why go there? It's pretty out of the way, if you know what I mean," he smirked.

"Oh, I was... Invited. To a festival," she replied.

He raised a brow. "Oh really?"

"No! It's nothing like that!" she assured him, pursing her lips.

He laughed good-naturedly. "Alright. Are you planning on staying?" A sparkle of mischief ignited in his reddish-brown eyes as he adjusted his shirt cuffs.

She shook her head, her straight blonde ponytail swishing.

"You sure?"

"Positive," she said in exasperation.

Another silence followed. The feline-man perked up. "Oh, hey! I never got your name!" he said.

Hm. Well, it's common etiquette to give a name to someone whom you'll probably spend a long train ride with. "Althea," she replied, nodding, a warm smile on her face.

"Althea? A lovely name for a lovely young woman," he smiled politely.

Kay. Borderline flirt. She smiled politely back, thanking him, "Thank you. And yours?"

"Ah! My name's Rovington, but you can call me... Ron. Call me Ron. Everyone calls me that," he chuckled, looking out the window.

She sighed. "Okay, Ron," She didn't want to get stuck with a talkative passenger, but he seemed polite. And a little cute, for what it's worth.

He turned his head back. "So... You think you got enough cash? I don't mean to offend you, or pry or anything, but..."

"Oh, yes. I have enough."

Rovington tilted his head. "Well, you seem like you've got a good head on your shoulders. You also seem like you're about to fall asleep, so I'll let you rest," he said, adding, "For now!"

Already eyes closed, she fingered the handle of her umbrella.

Ron gulped. "Hah! ... Kidding. I'm just kidding!"

Althea smiled, wondering why such a kind person already came her way. It was a chance in a million, really. How odd, though. It all felt strangely familiar.

* * *

_Yup! I humanized Rover from the Animal Crossing series. Don't judge me, o ye who _is_ surfing FFn._


	2. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

_Chapter 1_

_Row, Row, Row Your Boat..._

She awoke, nearly sliding off her seat as the train lurched forward and halted. She lazily sat herself back on the bench properly. Extending her arms in a gentle stretch, she glanced around the box with weary eyes. Rovington no longer occupied another seat. The remaining seats were also empty, leaving the box vacant except for Althea and orange rays of light filtering in through the closed curtains. She hadn't closed the curtains, had she?

A soft smile turned up her lips. _Rovington- er, Ron must have. _She hoped the villagers really happened to be "good folks," as he claimed. She shed her coat and quickly tied it around her waist. She'd definitely warmed up during her sleep. Her brain fully computed why it was still light out- she'd slept until the next day.

A _ding dong _filtered through the intercom, and a woman's voice crackled a message. "Passengers, we've arrived at Ferrus Harbor. Please gather your belongings and make your way to the nearest exit. Please remember to-"

Althea stopped listening as the woman droned about trash disposal and safety precautions. She wrapped her slender fingers around the handle of her well-loved leather suitcase, tucked her umbrella under the same arm, and slid open the door to the main area. She popped into the line filing out of the train, and waited. Idle chat and laughter filled the car. It smelled of antique wood and smoke, a smell like a country home resting atop a hill that sprouted the greenest of grass.

"Excuse me, ma'am," a voice from behind snapped her out of her reverie.

Her eyes had been closed. "Oh, uh, sorry," she apologized, then filled the gap before her. She strained to keep her thoughts focused. Soon, she would board a ferry over to Mineral Town. Since roads or railroads hadn't been built over the mountains to the rural village, the route she took proved the speediest. Besides, the ferry ride was said to be an hour to an hour and a half. She flicked her wrist up as she took a step forward, checking her watch. The little hand pointed between seven and eight. A sigh puffed from Althea's mouth, the full realization setting in. It was going to be a _long_ day...

Fortunately, she was pulling in for the home stretch, only a few people now between her and the door. She leaned over and tried to peek out. Someone assisted the people who traveled with many bags at the door, currently helping a man carry out a large suitcase. The line moved up, and she gasped at the sight of the harbor city.

Huge white buildings accented with greys and blues towered over bustling streets. Men yelled to each other along the piers, performing various sailors' duties under the slowly brightening sky. Next thing she knew, her toes dangled over the edge of the stairs leading down to the platform.

She nodded a polite "Thank you!" to the helper and hopped off the train. The platform's canopy sported the navy and white nautical palette, along with the remainder of the station. Good thing she removed her coat earlier; heat waves sizzled off the platform where the sun hit it. She trotted over to the doors leading into the station. She slapped her palms against the door- and nearly slammed right into the door itself. Her eyes drifted down to the long, silver pipe handle. Realizing the letters "PULL" were printed across the door, she laughed and blushed, pulling it open and hoping no one really noticed.

Although the harbor city had an old-fashioned feel to it, the station certainly didn't. Staircases wound up to multiple levels, leading to snack bars, souvenir shops, and other kinds of shops you'd see in a mall. Steely white tiles dipped in the middle, creating a central area. Tables were scattered around a column with ads flashing across an electric sign around the top. Althea chuckled at a veggie juice ad featuring a particular icy blue haired singer.

She started towards the far end of the station, dead set on getting to her destination as fast as possible. Crowds chattered loudly and lingered in circles or in lines. Others, like Althea, swiftly made their way toward the place they ought to be.

She wove in and out of crowded areas, and nearly fell down the abrupt incline to the center. Her suitcase and umbrella clattered to the ground. She mentally cursed herself out, reaching for her dropped items; however, a rough hand quickly snatched up her things.

She was about to yell out that someone stole her luggage. Her eyes trailed up to look in the stormy grey eyes of a tanned young man.

"Drop these, Miss?" he smirked at her.

She couldn't help but laugh. "No, actually, I threw them on the ground," she remarked.

His dark locks spilling out of a plum bandana bounced as he chuckled. "Really? Kay, I guess I'll just hold them for ya. Where you off to, Miss?" he said, voice smooth as silk.

Her features darkened. "Look, I can take care of my things myself, thanks," she mumbled, and reached for her suitcase.

"Ah, ah, ahh! First tell me where you're headed!" he teased.

"I can get security with a snap of my fingers. They're right over there."

"Please, I can take em."

"They have guns. Or tazers."

"I'm quick on my feet."

"So am I."

They stared each other down with intense gaze. Finally, Althea broke off, casting a worried look behind him.

"Is everything..." he turned his head slightly, but stopped. "Wait! You can't-" he realized too late.

She lashed out and managed to free her suitcase. She hesitated, but decided she couldn't return for the umbrella and sprinted for the exit. Heads turned in her direction. Not caring a single bit about what they thought, she flew over to the door and shoved it open, stumbling out onto a pale concrete sidewalk. Cars rolled along across the street.

Her gaze focused on a ship directly across the street, a sign stood up at the corner of the dock in front of it. "Mineral Town Ferry Service," the tall red letters scrawled across the white surface. Exactly where she was informed it'd be. What luck! For once, her travel agent got one right. She'd have to congratulate him... Later.

Cars drove by under the green traffic light, preventing her from reaching the ferry. She coughed as a strong whiff of exhaust fumes drifted by. "Harbor or not," she breathed, "it's still a city."

"Ain't no place like the countryside, eh?"

She jumped and turned to see the man from earlier. "Excuse me, but-" she started fiercely.

He held up one hand and thrust his other toward the woman. Grasped in his fist was her umbrella, extended to her as a peace offering.

Ripping the umbrella from his grasp, she pursed her lips and looked him up and down. What should she so? Thank him? Slap him? She settled on the less violent of the two, making it the least warm and fuzzy way possible. "Thank you," she clipped, giving him a sharp glare.

He only chortled in reply, nodding, as if agreeing that he needed to be thanked. He rested his hands against the back of his head. "No problem!" he exclaimed.

She huffed, trying not to stare at his sculpted, sinewy arms. They weren't impossibly huge, but he was no string bean. She continued to stare across the street as she waited for the light to turn red.

The man started to whistle and tap his foot casually. "So," he said, attempting at breaking the awkward silence, "you headed to Mineral Town too?"

"Yup," she replied curtly. Wait a second. "Wait, you're..." she looked at him in an _oh-no-you-didn't _expression. Well, good luck had to end somewhere, didn't it?

A smirk overtook his face. _Oh, yes he did. _He gave a wink and turned back in the direction of the ferry. "Call me Kai," he said with a toss of his head.

Althea's feet planted firmly on the concrete, her eyes bored into him, her mouth slightly agape and brow furrowed.

They both stood in a heavy silence. Finally, the green light switched to red, enabling them to cross to their destination. "That was a rather long light," Althea complained, legs stretching in a brisk pace.

Although Kai towered over her by at least half a foot, he was having trouble keeping up. "Eh... Mind slowing down? The ferry won't leave till at least another half hour! Hey, uh..." he sighed, unable to get her attention. He caught up to her and matched her pace, his boots now making a hollow clunk on the boardwalk. "I'm... sorry?" he offered in an attempt to make up for bothering her; though, he still wasn't sure what he'd done wrong.

Althea kept her gaze focused straight ahead at the ferry, a steely expression plastered on. She made a point of glaring at him. Looking back ahead, she opened her mouth, "I forgive you. Somewhat." Her rosebud lips pressed back together in a thin line. She halted a few feet away from a whistling man perched atop weathered crates, a cheap umbrella opened above him.

It's nautical blue color was faded out, and the edges of the cloth were frayed and torn. The man, assuming him to be captain, looked no better himself. His leathery skin crinkled around his facial features. He glanced up with a surly look on his weathered face, which quickly brightened at the sight of Kai and Althea. "Ey, I assume you're here for the ferry ride? Welcome back, Kai!" He spoke in a surprisingly smooth, deep voice.

Althea nodded half-heartedly, gears churning in her mind. Welcome back. Kai must've been a regular to Mineral Town. She flashed her watch before her eyes. Eight thirty, precisely. Kai's prediction was actually correct; they'd have to wait half an hour for the ferry to leave.

She squinted off at the sea, sun dancing on the vivacious waves. Kai and the captain made idle, friendly chatter; Althea simply gave a defeated sigh and sat on the warm wood. Too late turned into too early. Which was worse? As she pondered this, she took no notice of Kai taking a squat right next to her.

"So," he began.

She jumped, but quickly exhaled and calmed herself. "Yes?" she replied cooly.

He beamed at her reaction, giving a little laugh. "Whatcha going to Mineral Town for?"

Pondering her answer, she decided she was going to tire of the same response quickly. "It's... A secret!" she exclaimed in mock excitement. She flourished her arms and tossed her blonde ponytail in exaggeration.

Kai played along. "Wow! Really? Gee, sure wish I knew what it was," he teased.

"Oh, doesn't everyone?" she fluttered her lashes. They both laughed despite themselves. Maybe the boat rude wouldn't be so bad, after all...

* * *

After twenty more minutes of awkward sarcasm and thumb-twiddling, the two sat in the cabin of the ferry boat for more terrible joking and self-thumb-wrestling.

After a long silence, it was Kai who broke the ice. "So, what are you really going to Mineral Town for?" he inquired, scratching his stubbly chin.

She eyed him in exasperation. She gave a moody sigh, mumbling and proceeding to reach into her coat pocket to fish around for something. Since it was still around her waist, she wrestled with it a bit, producing a crinkling sound. Her enclosed fist emerged. A rosy pink paper jutted out the sides; she opened her hand and, taking the paper in her hands and tediously smoothing it out.

Kai reached for it, only to have her jerk back and give him a reproachful look.

He sank back into his seat glumly, crossing his arms.

She smiled in mock politeness. "Here. This should explain," she quipped, holding out the paper.

Kai raised his eyebrows, taking the page in a hand and looking at the long, slanted writing.

"_To Althea:_

_I have been recently informed of your extraordinary musical talent. I would like to ask you to attend our next festival, the Fireworks festival, and play for us here at Mineral Town. I promise you'll be paid well. Of course, you're travel will have to be paid for yourself. In the end, it's really up to you whether or not you're willing to come._

_I'm looking forward to it._

"So, um... you really decided to follow through with it? No name, even?" Kai asked in disbelief, looking the paper front and back.

"Yup," she replied haughtily.

Kai's lips turned down at the ends. "Couldja stop that?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Stop what?" she asked.

"Stop.. That!" he replied, waving his hands her her direction.

"Are you gesturing to all of me?"

"Well, maybe I-" Their argument was cut short when the boat lurched, and Kai fell out of his seat.

Althea latched on to the table as her body swung out of the chair.

"What the heck?" Kai shouted. He inhaled a wary breath, then jumped up to his feet.

Althea haltingly adjusted herself back on the seat. She looked to Kai with a horrified expression. "What happened? Why did we stop? Is everything okay?" By the end of her barrage of questions, she stood up straight, her fingers curling against the table bolted to the floor of the boat.

He chuckled, "We're here, silly. We just... Had a hard stop." He rolled up the letter and bopped her on the head with it. He began sauntering to the door.

"Wait," she cried, "I thought the boat ride was an hour and a half, not... Not a few minutes!"

He gave her a puzzled look, squinting his eyes and biting his lip. His face lit up when her misunderstanding dawned on him. "Oh, the mistake on the brochure? That's been there for ages, bro! Dunno why no one's bothered to fix it, but... Whatever," he shrugged. "Only someone like me, who's been there half a million boat trips, would know, I guess. Not that people regularly use the ferry to Mineral Town..." a distant look clouded his eyes as he gazed at the floor.

Althea, feeling rather miniscule and insignificant, stood abruptly amd walked past Kai. "In that case, we'd best get going, then," she announced. She cringed at the scorching sunlight flooding down from above, holding up a protective arm to shield her eyes. A few sets of footsteps clopped in the wood nearby, indicating other passengers making their way across the deck.

Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, finally, and she took in the sight of her destination; to her right stood a weathered wood building. A colorful sign was nailed to the front, but the glare of the sun made it hard to read. The same went for the sign above the clean white shack sitting next to the building. The shack looked significantly more sturdy and well-kept than its neighbor.

A strong finger tapped her shoulder and she turned to face Kai.

He pointed to the clean shack. "That shack over there is mine! Hurry up and pay the ferry man and I'll show ya around!" he exclaimed, then stalked off.

She smiled after him. Not a fake smile, but not quite yet a truly joyous one. Remembering the task at hand, she walked up to the ferry man, digging around in her pocket for gold. "Two hundred gold, sir, here you are," she handed over two large coins. Hoisting her suitcase up, she strode off the boat to the dock and stopped where the sand spilled over the wood. She snapped her head up as Kai waved from his shack. "I'll be right there!" she yelled back.


	3. It Can't Be So!

_Chapter 2_

_It Can't Be So!_

Althea scuttled across the beach and plodded onto the eggplant purple doormat before the shack's rickety door. She looked at the tanned beachgoer expectantly. "Well?" she quipped.

Kai chuckled, creaking the door open in a goofy fashion. "Ladies first," he winked.

Althea stepped inside, immediately turning to the wall for a light switch.

Kai flipped the lights on instead, revealing the inside of the quaint housing. "Ta-da!" he exclaimed.

She twittered half-heartedly and glanced around. The sanded white wood covering the floor and walls gave the place a wide-open feel. A wave mural roared across the back wall. Kai waltzed around rectangular metal tables, draped with yellow gingham cloth, to the counters near the back of the shack; he inspected an aged dish cabinet, fingering the glasses, plates, and silverware tucked inside. He bent over the sink.

Althea stepped over and peeked over his shoulder. Kai had started washing the dishes in the sink, polishing them until they gleamed. It surprised her that he'd be such a neat freak, but she supposed it was only common sense for his restaraunt to have clean dishes.

He waved a hand to his right. "Ah, back there are the bathrooms, and a closet I use for cleaning supplies and stuff! You could check it out, but there's not much to see," Kai explained. A little hallway bent down to the rooms he described.

Althea nodded. She cocked her head, raising a brow. "Wait. Where do you stay, then? There's no bedroom here. Do you sleep on the floor?" she inquired dryly.

"No, no!" Kai laughed, "I stay at the Inn! Which reminds me, shouldn't you be out meeting people or something? Or, like, finding a place to crash?" He stared at her with wide, gray eyes.

"I suppose," she sighed.

Kai smirked, setting down the current dish he was scrubbing and whisked his leather coat off. "What? Are you too... Shy?" he teased, "Or, goddess forbid, scared?"

She simply frowned and waved absently. "Sure, sure, whatever. Thanks, Kai. I'll probably come back later. If not, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, a little blankly. Althea hardly paid attention as she shoved the door open and stepped out onto the beach.

The first person she met had whittled her down, already. "Cute, but not my type, anyway. He's probably got a girlfriend already," she breathed. She started toward the plank connecting to the stairs, leading somewhere she had yet to explore.

"Who's got a girlfriend?" an innocently curious voice chirped.

Althea pivoted on her heels to see a young woman with lively pink locks held back by an inky black satin headband. Her rusty red-brown eyes seemed to pop out of her head. She blinked her dainty lashes and furrowed her brow.

"Oh, no one important," Althea replied cooly. The girl seemingly popped out of nowhere.

"Oh, okay!" the girl breezed by the subject, much to Althea's relief. She brushed back a stray pink lock and smiled. "I haven't seen you before. What's your name? Are you staying here? Why'd you come? No one ever comes to Mineral Town except Kai. Have you met him? Do you know anyone here?" she spewed excitedly, clasping her tiny hands into fists and waving them around.

Althea stared baffledly for a few awkward seconds. She attempted to piece together a proper answer, then a lightbulb lit up in her brain. "Well," she began, "I received a letter from someone in Mineral Town." She reached into her pocket for the letter, digging until she came up with nothing even close to a letter.

"Oh, I didn't know people used pocketwatches anymore!"

Althea pursed her lips and dropped it back into her pocket. She must've forgotten to retrieve the letter from Kai; though not a surprise, she could've gotten the handwriting identified.

"That's a big suitcase. What've you got in it that makes it so big?" the girl peeped.

Althea involuntarily ground her teeth. There's always more questions. Always. "A violin," she grinned, "I'm a musician." She blew a stray blonde hair out of her face.

The young woman clapped her hands as her curls bounced. "Oh, oh! How wonderful! You should play at the Fireworks Festival!" she cheered.

"Oh, that's actually what-"

"Just wait till I tell everyone! An actual musician, playing for us!" she swooned, her eyes glittering with wonder. She straightened up. "Oh, it's been lovely to meet you! I'm Popuri, I live at the chicken farm. I have to go now!" she fluttered, scurrying off.

Althea made a desperate grab at Popuri. "Wait! Don't- oh, oh great," she grumbled. _Nothing faster than rumors spreading through a small town,_ she thought. What would the villagers expect from her? Who would they expect? Would she let them down? Questions flooded her thoughts, keeping her feet planted on the ground. A warm breeze drifted by, sweeping her pleated skirt to the side. Luckily, it measured long enough to prevent it from flying up too far.

"But I will, won't I?" she asked, but more as a statement. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead, settling on the bridge of her nose.

She snapped back to reality as a seagull cawed and swooped down to capture a stray french fry. Althea swatted at it, shooing it away. "Hey, shoo!" she shouted, stumbling in the sand. It cawed in protest, but flapped away. She watched it sway and fly in a circle directly above.

Turning away, she briskly made her way across the beach to the plank. Her clunky boot heels clopped against the wood, silencing as they hit the concrete stairs. A rosy-stoned plaza came into view. Hedge bushes bordered it, dotted with lampposts. She wandered into the center of the square, drinking in the scenery. The stairs lead down to the beach at her right. A two-story building, assumably the Inn, towered above a the tops of some trees at her left; a plot of parkland occupied some space before there were any houses, obscuring anything but the Inn from her view. Paths leading down to more village houses branched out behind and in front of her.

She tapped a few dainty fingers against her soft chin, deciding on which path to take, when loud female voices chattered loudly behind her. She could barely discern what their conversation was about as they yelled over each other. As she turned to greet the ladies, they all moseyed down the path leading north, meeting eyes with Althea and coming to a halt.

Three women stood an awkward stance, as if unsure what to make of the sight before them. "Oh, so it's her," whispered a woman with sharp eyes and voluminous, short dark brown hair.

Another woman, hair pulled tightly into a dark blonde bun, replied quietly, "So it is, Anna."

The third smiled graciously and ran up to Althea. _'Bout time._ "Oh, hello! I'm so pleased to meet you, young lady. I'm Manna, I work at the winery with my husband, Duke. It's so inspiring to hear how you traveled from all the way across the world just to come here, to this tiny town! Oh and not to mention-" Manna chattered excitedly about all the gossip she'd heard from Sasha, who heard from Jeff, who heard from Rick, who was told by Popuri all about the young lady musician who'd arrived. Althea felt no shock at the outrageous stories that'd already spread so rapidly.

Althea waved her hands in a halting motion. "Please, please," she sighed, "I've never done this before. I'm not as great as everyone seems to have made me. Please, don't delude yourself with these rumors." She exhaled and plastered on a weary smile.

Anna examined her nails and tossed her head. "I figured it'd be something like that. Look, honey, no one ever comes to Mineral Town. You're going to set off a buzz for months, even if you only stay a day," she explained. Her jade dress flapped in another breeze.

Althea felt sobered after that statement. She didn't ask for something like that. "Well, I'm certainly in for something I didn't sign up for," she breathed.

Manna folded her hands and laughed softly. "Don't worry!" she assured her, "We're all here for each other."

Sasha gave a soft smile, toning down the worried creases in her face. "If anything, we are a... Close town. I hope you enjoy your time here," she said softly, straightening her royal blue skirt.

"I'm sure I will," she huffed, puffing a stream of air at a stray blonde lock.

Anna raised a brow at the musician. "So, who've you met so far?" she inquired.

She gave careful thought to how she'd go about it. However, she remembered she'd only met two villagers, "Popuri, and Kai." She absently tightened her coat around her waist.

The ladies all seemed to press in.

"What were they doing?"

"Was it scandalous?"

"Is it really true?"

"Oh, this is delicious!"

Althea put her hands up in protest. She saw what was going on here. "Hey, wait, wait, wait! STOP!"

Somehow, they'd heard her, and all stared blankly back. "What?" Manna stated.

"I saw them seperately, n-not..." she trailed off in horror.

The women relaxed, stepping away from her. All three proceeded to groom their hair, nails, and any other thing they supposed they should.

"Well, honey, what do you think about that Kai, anyway?" Anna pressed.

"Funny, but not my type," concise and straight to the point.

Anna just stood, eyes boring in to Althea. "You should meet everyone else before I die of boredom, sweetie," she grumbled.

Manna laughed. "Anna, she's only just arrived! Cut the woman some slack. Besides, now that everyone's heard, they'll be so excited to meet her and-"

Althea bowed. "Thank you! I suppose I must meet the others, then!" she declared. They all waved goodbye, then huddled together for some hard-core gossip. Making haste toward the path they'd come down, she strode off with purpose in her step, the idle chatter of the ladies fading. A path turned to her left, but she decided to leave it be until later. A quaint, yet elegant church rose up before her.

Children chased each other in the grass next to a small graveyard while a kind-faced man, in pastoral garb, looked on and smiled. Every once in a while, he halted their roughhousing when they looked as if they were hurting each other.

"Look, May! Look at the lady over there!" the boy exclaimed, pointing directly at Althea.

May turned around, her braids whipping about her head. "Ooh!" she cooed, trotting over to Althea.

Althea smiled and made a soft greeting, "Hello there, May. I'm Althea."

"Hello. I'm very pleased to meet you," she said politely, making a respectful bow to Althea.

The boy made no such attempts. "Hi!" he shouted, attaching himself to her leg, "I'm Stu! Nice to meet you!" His crazy grin was impossible to deny, however childish his gesture was. He was a child, after all; he only seemed so when compared to May's quiet, polite nature.

Althea laughed and patted them gently on the head. "Well, Stu, May, I'd love to stay and play, but I'm on a mission!" she told them.

"A mission?" Stu cocked his head.

May clasped her tiny hands behind her back. "What kind of mission, Big Sister?" she asked.

Althea faltered a moment. _Big Sister. _She shook it off, proceeding to explain herself. "Well, I'm on a mission to meet everyone by the end of today! I don't want to waste time meeting the people all spread out over a couple days, so why not all in one day?"

Stu pouted, releasing her leg and standing up on his toes. "Aw, please stay to play with us! Pleeeeeeeeease!" he pleaded, his eyes huge and round.

"O-oh, I suppose I could-"

The man intervened. "Stu, what did I teach you about thinking of others?"

Stu furrowed his brow in thought. "Harvest Goddess?"

The pastor sighed. "No, Stu. Just because I say the Harvest Goddess is always the answer doesn't mean She's the answer to every question," he instructed.

"Harvest Sprites?" he tried.

The pastor just chuckled and ruffled Stu's hair. "Stu, I said to treat others how you'd like to be treated, remember? If you wanted to play, what would you do if May tried to get you to read a book?" he asked.

Stu put his hands on his hips, puffing out his tiny chest. "I'd do it, 'cause May is my best friend!" he exclaimed.

"Ah, a lesson for another day, I see," he responded. "Anyway," he turned to Althea, "I'm Carter, the pastor here. It's good to see a fresh face in Mineral Town. Welcome." Carter extended a hand to her.

She gladly grasped it and shook politely. "Well, I think it's certainly going to be interesting," she laughed. She rubbed the sweat off her brow with a forearm. "Goodbye, Stu, May, Carter. I'll see you around!" she shouted.

"Goodbye, Big Sister!" May's farewell joined with Stu's and Carter's as Althea briskly walked down the path to the left.

She passed a couple streetlights as she flashed her watch in front of her. Eleven twenty-two. How did the time speed by? She stopped in front of the cottage-like building, a large rectangular sign erected before it.

"Mineral Town Clinic," she read aloud, "Open from nine to four every day except Wednesday. Closed on festivals." What happened if you injured yourself during a festival? She didn't intend to find out, that's for sure. Luckily, the day had fallen on a Friday, so Althea reached for the sleek silver doorknob. No point in being polite if it was a clinic- anyone could walk in.

She pulled the door open with ease and stepped inside. As she led the door closed behind her, she immediately noticed the blank white walls and floor. Well, what did she expect? Rainbows and ponies? A couple chairs dotted the walls, along with the obligatory doctor's office potted plants.

A gentle voice peeped up from behind a counter in the back, "Oh, good afternoon! You must be the one everyone's been excited about!" A young, petite woman with a round face and soft brown eyes leaned forward excitedly, her short, mousy brown hair bobbing with her. "I'm Elli, and Doctor's in the room over. He's in the middle of a check-up now, so I'll have to ask you not to bother him until he's done," she piped.

Althea nodded. She smiled and walked over to Elli, who stood in front of a tall shelf full of medicines. The whole place smelled strange, like they made the medicine right there. "I'm Althea," she stated awkwardly, this time unsure how to start conversation.

Elli giggled softly. "Well it's nice to meet you, Althea," she replied. She then cast her eyes nervously downward, fiddling with her frilly dress sleeves. "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but... Is it true you've travled across the world?" she asked as she slammed her palms down in excitement. "I mean, I grew up here all my life, and I've never had a chance to leave. Doctor always talks about going places to research but he's never followed through and I... So, is it really true?" she pleaded.

Althea drew back a bit from her outburst, but gave a warm smile. "More or less. I've been a lot of places, but certainly not all around the world," she explained.

If a person could wilt, Elli did so. "Oh, I-I didn't... I'm sorry. I got too excited," she sighed.

Althea felt a world of guilt on her shoulders. She searched frantically for something to cheer her up, anything. Than, she remembered a certain souvenir she'd taken from an island trip. It held a special place in her heart, but... "Here. I took this from a place called Sunshine Islands, and you deserve to have it," she said, holding out a red-striped clam shell.

"Oh, it's so pretty! I couldn't take something like this!" Elli gasped, holding a hand up to her mouth in surprise.

Althea smiled, holding it out further. "No, I was the one who experienced the trip. You take this as a token of budding friendship!" she said.

Elli cautiously reached out for the shell, finally taking it in her hand. "Thank you," she whispered, tears in her eyes.

Althea had no time to respond as the door to... Doctor's office swung open.

"-to ice it regularly, okay? You're lucky Mary was there to bandage it when she did, or it'd be a pile of blisters. Take care, Gray," a deep voice called from inside.

A sturdy man, shoving a baseball cap back on his strawberry blonde mop, stopped once to give a grumpy look at Althea, then turned and exited.

Althea looked back at Elli, a look of indignation evident. "I'm sorry, but what's his problem?" she asked. Elli opened her mouth to answer but straightened up when she spotted something behind Althea.

"He just acts like that as an outer shell. Pay no mind," the deep voice, presumably the doctor's, piped from behind.

Althea turned to see a tall, lean man, a shock of black hair atop his head; dark, almond-shaped eyes with educated gaze stared back at her. He rubbed his chin in thought. "I haven't seen you around. What could you possibly be doing here? Someone like you probably wouldn't come to a place like this," he mused.

Althea's brow dipped. "Someone... Like... Me?" she questioned, a little offended by his statement.

His eyebrows shot up as if realizing something he hadn't before. "Ah, never mind that. That was a bit rude, I apologize," he assured her. He extended a hand.

Althea, still maintaining a healthy skepticism, cautiously grasped it and shook. "Althea Skylark, sir," she declared, putting on her best smile. Too bad she felt far from her best.

He gently smiled, giving her heart a sort of strangled little jump, and his dark chocolate eyes met with hers. "Pleased to meet you, Althea. Call me Doctor," he replied.

She pursed her lips. "Surely Doctor isn't your name?" she asked dryly.

"Of course not, but I must retain a professional reputation, you see," he explained, running a hand through his dark hair and straightening his coat cuffs.

"Could you at least tell me your name?" she pushed, blinking her blue eyes as innocently as possible.

He sighed stiffly, "Trent. My name is Trent." His eyes held an unreadable expression, his face returing to a monotonous emotion.

She grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Trent," she beamed. Something seemed a tad off about him. She liked it.

The corners of his lips twitched, but made no further movement. "The pleasure is mine," he responded, out of politeness, she guessed.

They held gaze for a few seconds, blinking awkwardly. The air seemed to thicken with the silence. Althea opened and shut her mouth as Trent raised an inquisitive brow, but no conversation attempts were made. He had his hands shoved in his pockets while he slowly rocked back and forth on his heels.

"So," Elli almost shouted, desperate to break the ice, "now that we've all met, Doctor has to get back to work," she hissed in his direction, then laughed pleasantly as if it didn't happen.

"I hope I don't see you soon, if you know what I mean. Being a doctor and all..." Trent awkwardly gave a little wave and returned to his office, pulling the door shut behind him.

Althea was left wondering where the sweet Elli she met earlier had gone. She also couldn't piece together what just happened. Shrugging it off, she turned to the door and reached for the handle. "Um, I'll see you guys later," she said.

Suddenly, the door flew open and smacked Althea back. She cried out and felt her forehead, where a formidable bump was beginning to form.

"Oh Goddess! I'm so, so, so sorry! I was running here because I-"

Althea locked eyes with a girl garbed in overalls and a red plaid three-quarter length shirt. Her straight, straw blonde hair loomed forward as she bent over to talk to Althea.

"Claire?" Althea shrieked.


	4. Omigosh!

_Chapter 4_

_Omigosh!_

Cradling the ice pack to her forehead, she closed her eyes to the hum of the rapidly turning fan. "Well, that was a rather eventful meeting," she stated blankly.

"Well... How was I supposed to know you were right there?" Claire sighed, slumped over her sturdy dining table.

At least Claire's little farm felt like home. Memos of her life hid away in everything; from an old tablecloth that once served in her childhood house to the old little dresser she used. Most of the furniture, though, had all been either bought or came with the house.

"You've changed a lot, Althea," Claire peeped.

Changed she had, and not for the better. "I know," she replied softly. What was Claire thinking about? Was she disappointed too? Probably not. Knowing her, she was probably excited just to see Althea again. Her heart sank. "I-I'm sorry!" she blurted, "I promise to be a better friend."

Claire sat, bewildered. "Oh shut up! You're a great friend!" she exclaimed.

"No I'm not!" Althea yelled, rolling over and shoving her face into the pillow. "I'm a terrible friend who never tries to contact anyone because she's too selfish to think about them!" she cried.

For a moment, only the birds twittering and chirping fell on their ears.

"Althea," Claire began, "just stop, okay? Whoever sent the letter obviously wanted you to come here for a reason. And you're not selfish! You just get a little caught up in things, is all." She huffed and crossed her arms woth a toss of her head.

She sighed, mentally nodding. "Yeah, okay, fine. I guess I shouldn't drag this out," she declared, sitting straight up. Bringing long, spindly fingers to her forehead, she felt the bump had sizably decreased. "By the way, how long was I out?" she inquired, "all I remember was seeing you, then my vision clouded up, sort of." She lifted the ice pack back up to the bump.

"Four days!"

Althea gave her a look.

"Sheesh, okay. A couple hours," Claire corrected herself.

She nodded, smiling contentedly and bringing her knees up to her chest. Claire's bed was quite comfortable. She suddenly sat bolt upright, flinging her hands downward as Claire watched the icepack sail across the room. "Wait! Where will I stay? What if the Inn's full? Oh goddess, no, no, no..." she moaned, burying her face in her hands. Count to ten. It'll be alright. Just count to ten...

Claire laughed girlishly, jumping to her feet and moseying across to her bedside. "You'll stay here, of course!" she exclaimed, "After all, I-" she stopped her sentence there, then continued. "I mean, _you_ are my bestest friend, and no under-usage of technology to reach me can change that!" she yelled proudly, fists positioned on her hips in a heroic fashion.

Althea peeked from her fingers. "Really? You mean it?" she asked meekly.

"What'd you think? That I'd leave you outside like a hobo?" Claire questioned.

Althea's serious face spelled it all out.

"You really don't rely on anyone else, do you?" Claire pouted, crossing her arms haughtily. "Well, welcome to Mineral Town, where we all have a system depending on everyone else!" she cried.

"Dear goddess, I need to get out of here!" Althea yelled sarcastically. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and rested her elbows on her knees, cradling her head in her hands. "I'm not that bad. I rely on my travel agent to help me get places," she explained.

Claire nodded, opening her mouth to speak.

"Even though he's only right half the time," Althea continued.

Claire gave an amused laugh, "I take back what I said earlier, you haven't changed at all!" A wide grin split her face from ear to ear.

"Hm, well neither have you, dear," she hummed in reply. Her suitcase rested against the side of the light oakwood bed, its dark leather glowing dimly in the low light. She stretched for it, grasping the smooth handle and hauling it to her side. Wait... if she couldn't walk back by herself, and someone had to have carried her and the suitcase back... She didn't want to know.

As if reading her mind, Claire spoke up. "Oh yeah, Doctor had to carry you back here. I've gotta say, your suitcase was heavy! Whew!" Claire hollered. She folded her legs into a butterfly position and rocked back and forth.

Althea, flipping the latches undone (after she had unlocked the suitcase, of course), winced as she heard those words. "What, he- really?" she sighed.

"Yeah," Claire affirmed, then her eyes widened and she waved her hands. "Oh, hey! He looks a little intimidating, but he's a nice guy! He's just... Socially challenged," she laughed. "Not to mention handsome," she winked playfully.

Althea guffawed at her statement. "Yeah, but about as talkative as a rock. You even said so!" she protested. Her expression softened. "You're right about Trent being handsome, though. And so is Kai, but I think he's got something going on with Popouri," she said, twirling a light blonde lock. She grinned lightly. "Look at us! It's been three years and we're already talking about boys like schoolgirls," she laughed.

"Well, duh! All the young guys here are attractive! Well, except for the Gourmet," she grumbled, "He's pretty freaky." She puffed her cheeks out and pulled up her knees, reaching for a plastic white ball rolling casually along the wood flooring. "And then there's Gray, Cliff, and Won," she listed. Her expression turned puzzled, as if she were doing a math problem mentally. "Wait, who's Trent?" she suddenly asked.

"Uh... The Doctor," Althea replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

Claire's grin returned, wider than ever. "Omigoshomigoshomigosh! I just realized the best thing ever!" she squealed, pounding her feet against the floor.

Althea furrowed her brow in annoyance. "I thought you stopped watching that, like, ten years ago," she mumbled.

Claire's face grew solemn. "Althea," she stated, "Doctor Who will never get old. _Ever._"

Althea smacked her palm to her forehead. It was going to be the most interesting trip she'd ever made, no doubt.

"Do you think he's got a sonic screwdriver? Ooh! Elli must be his sidekick, and it's perfect 'cause she's totally in love with him anyway. Even though he doesn't feel the same way. Poor guy probably doesn't even realize it. Oh, oh, I got it! That mirror he always wears is, like, sonic or something, yeah! Right, Althea?" Claire chattered excitedly, glancing at her bed.

Althea's eyes were closed, fast asleep, her dainty lashes flickering.

* * *

Well, this chapter isn't much, it just served to establish the relationship between Claire and Althea, and further develop Althea's character. I think this is my favorite chapter so far XD

If any of you readers are Doctor Who fans, yay! I've watched a bit of it myself, and thought it'd be a little funny and ironic to toss some of it into the mix. And no, Claire will not be able to look at Trent the same way ever again.

Arigato! :D


	5. So, We Meet Again

_Chapter 5_

_So, We Meet Again_

Her eyelids lazily drifted open, her body hot and stiff. She lay on a rather comfortable bed. Creaking her limbs straight, she streched widely with a jaw-cracking yawn, then relaxed her body. Her head lolled to the right, eyes scanning the room; Claire was nowhere to be found. Her eyes drifted toward the side table, falling on an old leather journal. A yellow square of paper sat on top of it. Althea forced herself to rise, albeit slowly, and gingerly plucked the note off the table.

_I'll be out in the fields when you wake up_

_- Claire :)_

Lovely. She really needed to break the habit of sleeping for fourteen hours straight. With a glance at the clock, her brain woke in a flash. "Five thirty?!" she shouted in despair. How could Claire even wake up before six? She could only watch and wonder...

Well, there was no way she'd fall back into her world of dreams, so she might as well drag her arse out of bed and make herself useful.

She slid off the bed, her feet meeting with something soft and squishy. A sleeping bag. Her heart sank as she realized Claire had slept on the floor to accommodate for the fact Althea occupied her own bed. She silently cursed herself out. She'd apologize later, she decided, straightening up and moseying toward the wall, swooshing the curtains open.

On the table rested a plate with remnants of a hastily eaten omelet and half a glass of milk. She pursed her lips. If Claire had kept up her usual appetite, then Althea figured she hardly ate much. She sighed with a shake of her head, and scooped up the dirty dishes. She'd give her friend a good talk about it later.

The kitchen, though cramped, had full functions to it and then some. "Beautiful!" she exclaimed. She'd be able to teach Claire a few good recipes using vegetables and fish later. With that thought, she cautiously placed the dishes into the sink and set about washing them. She absentmindedly hummed a pretty tune as her hands motioned through scrubbing and drying with a towel. "I wonder where Claire is right now," she voiced. She had to be just starting work by then, tending to crops or brushing fur-coated animals. Perhaps collecting eggs from her chickens? All these thoughts casually crossed her mind until she looked down, realizing she'd finished drying.

The dishes sparkled with cleanliness. She swiftly exited the kitchen area and up to the cupboard, opening the antique furniture and placing the dishes inside.

"Now then," she murmured, clapping her hands together and trotting to her suitcase, bending down, flipping the latches up, and cracking it open. It swung down, revealing rows of neatly rolled up clothing. Tucked in beside them sat a lovely leather violin case, supple and glowing. A soft smile graced her features. Her fingers glided along the edges of the casing, caressing it lovingly.

What would she do? She refused to bother Claire, for she knew nothing about farmwork. Her gaze suddenly fell on her running sneakers. Though old and muddy, they got her through all sorts of slumps; grinning, she snatched them up along with a lightweight top and mesh shorts. She glanced at the window, catching a glimpse of the bright, cool morning. "Perfect."

* * *

Her feet pounded away dutifully at the dewy grass. Her shoes, saturated with the moisture from the emerald blades, squelched in protest. Hair pinned into a golden bun and tamed by a cloth headband, the mountain air pushed and pulled at her lungs.

The weather was absolutely pristine for running, really. Althea thanked everything wonderful in life that she discovered the path behind Claire's farm. An insane grin painted her exercise-reddened face as she plodded forward around the path to her right, deciding to leave the curious log house behind for later exploration.

Trees bordered the path, ominously arching overhead, like lavishly crowned sentinels. The familiar croaking of summer cicadas already pierced the quiet air. The buzzing accompanied the loud, clear twitters of friendly avian creatures, and small animals skittered across the beaten path. Old leaves and rotten acorns sprinkled across the dirt.

Althea temporarily shut her eyes, drinking in nature's whimsy. The place felt like home. Yet, it couldn't be home for her. She'd never set foot in Mineral Town in her entire twenty-two years of life. But here she stood, undeniably feeling like she'd run the same path day, after day, after day.

She spied light filtering in around a bend in the path. As she drew closer, the forest gave way to an incredibly spacious clearing, opening up to the slowly brightening sky. A shimmering lake filled most of the clearing, topped with a few jutting rocks. A tiny island sat atop the surface toward the middle of the lake. A chilly wind swept over her as she crossed the threshold from forest to clearing, sending exhilarating shivers dancing down her spine.

As she drew closer to the water's edge, something moved, catching her eye. A man (quite possibly a woman) was kneeling down in the sand, hunched over and gazing into the water. Wait... Definitely a man. He sported dark hair, a thin khaki vest over a clean white shirt and black slacks.

Althea halted when the realization hit her. The man was Trent. Not wishing to break into his clearly deep, troubling thoughts, she almost turned to leave when he spoke.

"You do realize I know you're there?" he remarked placidly. When Althea turned once more to face him, his head was turned directly toward her. "What brings you here so early?" he questioned.

She stopped herself before attempting to read his expression. "Uh... Running," she replied awkwardly. _Of course he knows you're running, you dope._ She dipped her brow in an attempt at confusion, hoping he wouldn't think her incompetent.

His face seemed to relax. "I see," he sighed. He stooped his head back over the sparkling waters. "I was just here... reflecting," he said quietly. His chiseled jaw clenched at the last word.

"Oh really? About what?" she inquired lightly. Her heart rate began to slow as the serene atmosphere kicked in. Her eyes widened at the probability that he wouldn't want to discuss his troubles. "Oh, uh, I mean, I don't intend to pry, I-"

"About my parents," he said simply, tugging at his shirt cuffs, "They always seemed to be too busy for me. Always studying, always researching and discovering new ways to aid patients. They both worked in the medical field, you see."

She gave a sluggish nod when he glanced cautiously at her.

His mouth tugged at an almost bitter smile. "I understand now. They really were amazing people, always reaching out to their patients, never taking a moment to think about themselves. I strive to be like them every day," he continued. He ran a hand through his coal dust hair, ruffling it lightly.

She stood awkwardly in the grass as the sun rose over the horizon in glorious fuchsia hues."Well, I," she stumbled over her words, reaching for the right ones to say, "I haven't been here long. But, I have a feeling you're every but as great as they are, just because you worry about it." The words seemed to jump out of her mouth. She was unsure why she even said them, but concluded that they were the best she could offer at the awkward moment.

A silence ensued between them when even the blare of cicadas seemed to dim. Althea stared at Trent, who directed his gaze into the lake.

"Still, I... I can be a but intimidating," he breathed.

She frowned. "Try reading into ways to connect with people. I know it's hard for me to do so, but a good way is to keep an open mind. And to smile," she replied slowly, speaking like an adult to a curious child, "Part of being a doctor is connecting with your patients. A big part, actually. Just... We can all work on something, you know? Make that something to work on."

Then, all at once, a lovely smile graced his features. He stood up, strode over to Althea, and began speaking, "Thank you! You have no idea how much that encouraged me. I just... Thank you." He took her hand in his, giving it a hearty shake.

"Oh, no problem!" she laughed nervously, eyes drifting to the ground. Trent seemed like an interesting guy. A little weird, but still interesting enough. She returned the handshake with all due energy, giving a quick nod and a smile.

Once their hands parted, he gave her a friendly nod and stalked away toward the path back down the mountain.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" she yelled after the man.

"Back to the clinic!" he shouted, "It opens at nine!" He started quickening his pace at his last words.

She gazed after Trent, a look of bewilderment etched in her face. If everyone in Mineral Town was like this, it'd be a rough road to friendship with others. Unless, you know, she kept meeting people in random places every day. Like this. She chortled and shook her head. Another path, a ways down her left, lead seemingly more up the mountain. She could wrestle with another path and back.

Just then, a trio of people came hiking down the same trail. A sigh puffed from her mouth, and she quickly retreated to the path leading back down to the village. She'd had enough early morning chatter already.

* * *

Hello, readers! This week is the last week of weekly updates... School is starting for me next Wednesday, and things are gonna get BIZ-AY. I'll try and slowly chip away at the HM works I have up, bit Chasing Wind might be the only one you see regularly. I hope you can understand...(ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻ Anyway, this was a bit of a weird chapter. Weirdness happens when two socially awkward people try to converse. Lolol.


	6. The Midsummer Morning

_Chapter 6_

_The Midsummer Morning_

The next week went by in a heated flurry of meetings, socializing, running, and other such exhausting activities.

Althea often spent time out in the mountains to practice on her beloved violin. It was, after all, the sole reason she came.

And so she sat on the midsummer morning, violin poised for a heated practice session, string gliding over string. She cringed. The produced sound failed to meet her expectations and, as a result, she plucked a yellow, dulled, eraser-less pencil from the wildflowers and hastily crossed out notes she'd written, inserting new ones.

She took the piece from the top. A series of light, high notes drifted through the air like a butterfly on a summer breeze. The melody lulled into melancholy tones, soft and sweet. As she drew the bowstring across slowly for the ending note, she sighed. Something was lacking.

Althea started at the sound of clapping. Claire sat a few feet away from her, a beaming grin upon her face. "Wow! You sure have gotten good, Alto!" Claire laughed.

"D-don't call me that," Althea grumbled, "And, uh, thanks!" A light blush dusted her pale cheeks as she smiled meekly.

Claire giggled, "But it's such a great nickname!" She lifted a wicker basket from behind her. "Oh, and, I brought lunch!" she exclaimed, grinning wider.

Althea laughed and shook her head. "It's only, like, ten o'clock, silly," she chided her gently. Her hands set about tucking the violin away in its case. The latches shut with a click, and she set her hands in her lap, tilting her head at her friend. She'd arranged to stay at the Inn, much to Claire's protest, in order for them both to have their own bed and living space. It'd definitely taken some getting used to, she recalled.

The boy with the UMA hat, Gray, also dwelled at the Inn. She was forced to deal with the loner once more, and their second meeting was probably less pleasant than the first.

**• • •**

"Hey, girl," Gray grumbled, tugging on the brim of his hat. He shuffled over to where Althea stood, wrestling with the lock on the Inn door.

"What?" she snapped, instantly regretting saying anything once she realized who it was. The stoic blacksmith's apprentice.

He grimaced. "Fine, stay locked out for all I care!" he barked, stomping to the stairs.

"Hey, wait," she called, "Don't you need to get into your room, too or something?" In her irritation, she gripped the key harder, hearing a loud _snap! _She froze. A stream of curses flitted through her head. _No no no no no... Not now... _

Her eyes slowly drifted down to the lock, looking cautiously at the thin metal object in her fist. Yup. The key's shaft was completely seperated from its tip, the latter still shoved in the keyhole. Who on earth made a key that fragile.

"You broke it, dummy," the Gray grumbled from behind.

She jumped back toward the door to see him standing over her. Did everyone in the village have a habit of appearing out of nowhere? Her face twisted into a confused frown, she looked him up and down before responding, "Well? Aren't you a blacksmith? Fix it." She stepped aside, holding out the key and jabbing a finger on her other hand at the lock.

His face darkened, then flushed a deep red. "Just because I'm a blacksmith doesn't mean I can fix everything! Why can't anyone understand that? I'm not like Grandpa, I can't just fix things, there's a reason I'm called an apprentice!" he ranted, more to the hallway than to Althea.

Said blonde stood, slightly dumbfounded by his behavior. "Um," she began, "I-I'm sorry, I... Wasn't implying anything of the sort." She huffed a sigh, eyes darting anxiously about the hall. Why did it have to be so difficult to talk to... An adult, no less?

"No, I'm sorry," he shook his head. He shuffled moodily to the door, gesturing for Althea to move out of the way.

She obliged. Althea held out the key shaft.

He roughly grasped it, then got on a knee to inspect the lock. The apprentice squinted at the broken metal shard. He stood up. "I don't know how to fix it," he grumbled.

"Ah, well, I suppose I could stay at Claire's for tonight," she shrugged, knowing Doug probably wouldn't mind. He'd know better than most in Mineral Town just how old everything was. Still, she hated having to bother Claire again.

"Hm," Gray grunted in reply. He began shuffling away, muttering something like, "Idiot."

**• • •**

Claire laughed, snapping her fingers in front of her friend's face.

Althea fell backwards in surprise. "Hey!" she protested, rolling back into a sitting position. She huffed.

Claire merely bubbled in laughter. "You're so fun to tease!" she exclaimed.

"I wonder how fun it'd be to swing my fist at your face," Althea replied, primly grabbing the basket.

The straw-haired girl chortled in a lighthearted fashion, then reached her arms up in a stretch. She fell back as an exhale puffed from her chest.

"So, uh... If you don't mind my asking, are you interested in any of the young men here?" Althea inquired. Rooting around in the basket, she found nothing appetizing, so she set it aside.

Claire gave a heaving sigh. "Nah," she replied.

A breeze rolled by, tousling the blonde hair of both girls and tossing around plucked flowers. "Really?" she pushed her inquiry firther.

"Really..." Claire groaned, rolling onto her stomach and poking at the moondrops before her.

"I'd be lying if I said I believed you," Althea chuckled softly, gathering toy herbs with the goal of making a toy chain.

"Fine," she spat, "I kind of like Gray." She furrowed her brow and shoved her pink lips into a pout.

Althea frowned at the sentiment. "But he hates everything," she stated dryly, nimbly fashioning a flower chain between her fingers.

"Hey, he's only like that at first," she piped. The girl plucked a dandelion from the tall grass and examined it. "He's actually really nice and sweet on the inside," she murmured.

Althea couldn't help the soft smile on her rosebud lips. "You two sound like you're a match made in Heaven, now that I think about it," she sighed, "I definitely see it now." She swiftly looped the last Toy Herb into the first.

"Yeah," Claire sighed happily. She propped her head up on a calloused fist. A sly smile worked its way onto her face. "What about you?" she chirped.

Althea knew the way the conversation was headed, and she didn't like it. "What do you mean?" she countered, feigning at cluelessness.

"Silly, you know exactly what I mean! In all your travels, have you ever, you know, had to leave anyone behind?" Claire's voice dropped to a discreet whisper as she finished the question.

Of course, there would be no fooling Claire. The Toy Herb chain forgotten in the grass, Althea folded her hands in her lap once more as a heavy silence hung about. "I suppose," she broke the silence at last, "that I have." Her face pulled into its usual, almost haughty expression once more. A flash of pale skin beneath a short blue sleeve, a blue-eyed memory of what once was pushed itself to the front of her vision. Her lips pursed, her brows angled, she struggled to come up with something to avert the topic, anything, anything at all.

Then, Claire said something unexpected, "Well, Alto, he didn't know what he let go. So I guess that was for the best." The farm girl nodded in agreement with herself.

Althea lowered her head. She never did like remembering; it always arrived with a rush of pain and a pit in her stomach. Then, it subsided slowly, a slow-burning fire being leeched away by the cold. "Yes, I... Suppose it was, wasn't it?" she murmured on a painful breath.

"And, you're here now, right? You can always look at it as a fresh start," Claire offered, swinging her legs up in the air.

"I can't forget, though," she responded.

Claire merely gave a soft laugh. "Sometimes it's okay to forget," she cooed.

_No it's not, _she retorted silently. She sighed, looking up at the giant cotton balls dotting the sky.

"Hey, I should get back to the farm. Think about what I said," Claire cheeped, jumping up to her feet. She swept up the basket and waved goodbye. "See ya later!" she called. The farmer hurried back to the bridge and out of sight.

Althea waved in a nonchalant fashion, glancing at her watch. Wednesday, July twenty-second, eleven forty-seven in the morning. The piece she'd constructed was to be performed in two days' time. So far, things had been quite mediocre, and she hadn't a clue how to fix anything. She could practice, but the urge to pick up and play was absent. Althea gazed at the quaint bridge. A sleek, ultramarine bird perched atop the railing chirped a beckoning tone in her direction.

"Are you calling for me?" she thought aloud.

The bird twittered a response, it seemed, hopping further down the railing.

"Oh, alright, I suppose," she chuckled. Her fingers clutched the case of her beloved instrument as she stood. She trotted through the tall flora to the ramshackle little bridge. The bird flew toward the lake clearing as she approached.

With an amused laugh, Althea broke into a run, following the bird through the clearing as it soared overheard. She sprinted faster and faster, until- "Oof!" A hard mass collided with her. Then, everything seemed to fall into slow motion. She watched with horror as her grasp loosened on the violin, sending it flying into the unknown. Her vision blurred and refocused. The air in her lungs rushed out forcefully, ripping breath from her.

The ground felt hard, and the grass tickled her cheeks.

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry! I didn't see you there, Althea! Are you alright?" a familiar deep voice called out as a pale face loomed into view.

She squinted at the dark eyes examining hers. "Doctor Trent," she coughed.

He nodded. His dark brows lifted. "That is me. I'll repeat my question: are you alright?" he replied, a hint of concern in his voice.

Althea blinked a few times to clear up her vision. "Yes, I'm fine," she told him, pushing him away and sitting up. Questions began to flood in. Why was Trent at the lake again? Where'd her avian friend fly off to? However, the most prominent question must have been answered before all others. "Where is it?" she demanded.

"Althea, I have no idea what you're asking for. Are you sure-"

"My violin!" she screeched, "Where is it?" In a frenzied craze, she kneed Trent in the face while jumping to her feet, head swiveling rapidly. The leathery case sat not in the grass nor on the shore, which led to an... Unfavorable conclusion.

Trent's eyes widened as he rubbed his forehead gingerly.

Haltingly, she stepped toward the water's edge, peering down into its clear liquid. Surely enough, a pear-shaped, black mass sat nestled among a bed of aquatic vegetation, halfway to the bottom of the lake. A rim of silver glittered along its edge.

"I-I'm so sorry..." was all Trent could offer at Althea's horrified expression.

"Oh my goddess."

* * *

_Author's Note: I almost saved this until later, but I had this brilliant idea of how it could get some goooood plot rolling. I figured that Althea would've procrastinated on going to Mineral Town until she felt inspired to, then bought all the tickets and junk, then had to force herself to go. And had some randomly half-composed piece lying around. "HEY. Because why not?"_

_I apologize for Trent's out-of-character-ness, but you'll see more of his stony-faced attitude, I assure you. *evil chuckles* I feel evil. IT FEELS GOOD. *evil maniacal laughter* I'll let you wonder why I did some things the way I did in this chapter._

_Anyway, I hope I haven't failed you with my increasingly spread apart updates D:_


	7. Is This What It's Like?

_Chapter 7_

_Is This What It's Like?_

She stared at the glimmering surface, paying no heed to the apologizing voice in her ear or the cautious hand on her shoulder. Her violin was useless. All the work she'd done to prepare a piece, all the practice she'd put into place... Done. Gone. All of it. Was it her fault? Yes, it had to have been. Trent didn't knock her down on purpose, and she was only entertaining her whimsical side by following the strange bird.

Thus, in the end, all the blame lay on her shoulders. "I have to go," she whispered.

"Althea!" Trent shouted.

She snapped her head at him. Before she could stop it, her sharp tongue got the better of her and lashed out, "What? Haven't you already done enough? Just let me go home, Trent. Goodbye." Althea turned on her heels and strode toward the mountain path. She'd find a way to fix it. She was sure of it.

She had to find a way to fix the violin. She could get Kai to swim down and get it, and... And... She'd have to send her violin to somewhere she could get it repaired.

Furious tears bubbled at the corners of her eyes.

* * *

"Trent, you at least have to help me, somehow! You had some part in its, ah, destruction, ok? The least you can do is help come up with ideas or... Something! The show is in two days!" she cried, slamming her palms on the doctor's desk. She could hear Elli's surprised gasp from behind the door.

The man merely scribbled down a few more notes, placed the paper neatly on a stack to the side, and began writibg on another. "I asked you to call me Doctor," he responded placidly, "And, I'm too busy with work to help you, Miss Skylark." He ceased his dogged writing to slide back in his swivel chair and open up a drawer.

He retrieved a pen light and placed it on the desk. Sliding his chair forward, he turned his icy cold glare at her. "If you'd like, I can at least check you out to make sure you don't have a concussion," he offered.

"That's nothing compared to the state the violin is in! I don't give-"

Trent stood up, rounded his desk, and led Althea to the door by her arm. "I must ask you to leave, then," he ground out.

She halted the movement right before the gray door. What happened to the Trent she'd met? She gently pushed away his hand, to which he obliged, and turned to the door. Her hand slipped over the knob. "I suppose I'm sorry for asking, then," she mumbled. She exited the office and left the young doctor to himself.

She noticed Elli quickly busying herself with paperwork on the counter. The nurse looked troubled, to say the least.

Althea decided to make for the door immediately.

"I'm sorry for your loss," a gentle voiced piped from behind.

Althea turned, a soft smile on her face. "Thank you for your concern, Elli," she replied, "but please don't worry about it. It'll be okay." As if. She managed to get the words out without her voice cracking or trembling, though.

Elli frowned. "Oh, but it seems so important to you. I know how it feels to lose something important, Althea, so you don't have to hide it. At least you can get your violin back," she assured her. The smile she wore seemed so melancholy; Althea wondered what loss she endured.

She supposed Elli was right. "Yes, I can. But that leaves the show, and the fact that if I don't perform soon, I won't have the money to fix my violin," she argued, realizing the gravity of the situation at hand. She continued softly, "And now that I don't have an instrument, I... Can't really perform." Her eyes widened. Borrowing money was not an option, lest she create a beggar's reputation. How would she even retrieve the instrument?

Elli's eyes sparked with a flaring determination. "Well, I don't have much to offer, Althea. I'm positive you'll find a way to save the show, though!" Elli exclaimed, with enough conviction to scare Althea a little.

"Thanks, Elli," she responded wearily, "but I really should be going."

Elli gave a soft giggle and waved goodbye. "See you later, Alto," she said with a wink.

Althea quelled the urge to shudder and stepped out into the Summer heat.

For the first time in a long while, she had absolutely no idea where to go or what to do. Claire was too busy with farm work, Kai was getting ready for the festival along with Ann and Doug, Rick and Popuri were occupied with an ill chicken, Elli obviously couldn't do much, and Trent...

She stopped her train of thought. Her throat choked up and her heart started to beat abnormally. Her stomach felt as if it was tying itself into a thousand knots. What's going on? she thought. In her absence of mind, she'd walked to a nearby bench and sat down.

"Ugh," she grunted, holding a hand to her stomach. She needed to get away from that man, and fast. Luckily he seemed to always be busy with medical research and other such work. It'd be easy to avoid him. Althea could stay out of the mountains on Wednesdays, and on festivals she could simply skirt around the young doctor.

"Is this what it's like to have a complex about someone?" she groaned, holding her face in her hands.

* * *

_So, my friends, we have the next chapter. I regret that this is so short, and that it's more of a "filler" chapter... So I hope you guys are still liking this story._

_And now it's time for some reader choice! :D_

_I can:_

_A. Write about Elli's misadventures on the next day (just what is that sneaky little crap up to? u_u) , or_

_B. Skip straight to the festival where some heavy plot action happens._

_Leave a review or PM me about it! :D_

_As a last thought, this story will most definitely not end after the festival, for obvious reasons. Stay tuned! ;)_


	8. Maybe

Althea lied on her bed at the Inn, eyes staring at the ceiling, unseeing. Her hands sat limply at her sides. Perhaps she should have felt enraged, distraught. No. Nothing was left anymore. At least the townsfolk contributed to her cause, their sympathetic donations adding up to enough to even purchase a new violin, as well as covering the costs of repairing her old one.

Eventually, Kai dove down into the lake to bring it up. Once the case was opened, she nearly cried at the sight of the horribly disfigured violin. She refused to acknowledge that her faithful companion had been far too warped to repair, anyway.

Many offered to lend their instruments to her. They didn't understand.

All Claire offered was a hug and a sympathetic, "I am _so_ sorry." The apology was sincere, as always. It was why everyone loved her. Her dazzling energy, her endless optimism. Sure, she jumped to conclusions and had many ditzy moments, but all could be overlooked in the name of charm. It was no mistake the village loved her. Claire stood as a glittering, spectacular gem next to Althea.

In the end, Althea appreciated the sentiment, but knew that even her best childhood friend couldn't understand how she felt. Why did she bother keeping friends when they constantly let her down? All they ever did was leave; leave for love, leave to chase dreams, just leave. All her "friends" never bothered to sit down and take care of her; it was always the other way around, Althea being the comforter, the listener. Recording her thoughts in a leather-bound notebook usually quelled her inner rage. Not for long, though.

As she rolled onto her side to curl into a ball, she started at the wetness on her pillow. She cautiously brought a hand to her face; yup, those were tears. The tender, sticky surface of her cheeks attested for that.

She ignored the wet spot and brought her knees to her chest. And the worst of all? She'd force her tears to cease, put her makeup back on, and show the world, er, village, that she held strength.

But she didn't. However, it'd be unthinkably selfish to dump her problems on everyone else. Besides that, she'd be viewed as weak and a clingy beggar. She lived in a constant vicious cycle.

A knock on the door caused her body to twitch.

"Althea, it's me, Claire," a cheery voiced piped from behind the door.

She buried her face in her knees, shouting back, "I don't want to talk." Her voice cracked, to her chagrin, giving away her emotional state.

"You sound awful! Let me in! You've been in there for a day and a half, and everyone's worried!" Claire pleaded with her, banging on the locked door.

Of course people were worried. They probably didn't really care much what happened, though. "Please leave me alone," she responded weakly.

There was a heavy silence for a while. Althea could see the shadow's of Claire's feet lingering beneath the door.

"Fine. I'm going to go get him," Claire replied. Her boots stomped away from the door and down the steps, leaving Althea to wonder who she was fetching.

The first face that came to mind seemed to blank out her other thoughts. Perhaps Claire went to get Trent. Maybe he wanted to apologize, or he had something in mind for the show; he wanted to come, but asked Claire instead because he wouldn't know how to confront her. Yes... Perhaps.

The thought comforted her. She clutched at the soft covers of her temporary bed, the sweet fragrance of the softener making her smile, if only a little.

She began thinking about how she'd talk to Trent. She'd forgive him. Though the violin was important, she couldn't blame him for breaking it. She'd forgive him if he apologized.

She lifted her head at another knock. Her hopes were higher than earlier, but her entire body still felt like lead. She needed to get up. "Just do it," she whispered. She swung her legs out of bed, rubbing at her eyes and face to remove the tear stains if she could.

"-wouldn't let me in, but I knew you'd be able to," Claire said to someone else as the door, surprisingly enough, swung open.

Althea stood with her hand poised to open the door when Claire walked in.

At her side stood not Trent, but Gray.

She realized what exactly had taken place.

Claire flashed her a sad smile and waved off Gray, who was holding the spare key. She shut the door behind her. "Look, I really didn't want to do this," she sighed, the smile on her face turning to a frown. She took a step toward Althea.

Althea stepped back. She locked her knees, bare feet on the scratchy inn rug, heart beating sluggishly from lack of activity. Her face felt hot and achy. "Then why did you? Why couldn't you just leave me alone?" she inquired slowly, letting the syllables roll along her tongue.

Claire sighed, her thin shoulders heaving. "Because you're still my best friend, and I'm worried about you. For all we know, you haven't eaten anything in at least twenty-four hours! You know, you always worry and say you feel like a bad friend, but I was the one who was always daydreaming and not worrying about anything and I always left it alone when you said you're fine and you'd always shrug things off like it was all okay for everyone else b-but here we are again, and now I have a second chance to be your friend, and I wanna be there for you, Althea!" she exclaimed, worry and sorrow etched into her face.

Althea stood for a full minute, staring sadly at Claire's watery sapphire eyes. She blinked and looked down.

"Claire, thank you," Althea choked, "but I-"

"No, stop that! No buts!" Claire reprimanded her, slapping a hand on Althea's shoulder. She sniffed, wiped away a tear, and focused a determined look into her friend's eyes.

Her eyes seemed to latch on to her heart, digging into the hardened flesh. "You know I..." Althea trailed off, but pulled the thought back. "I think I'm overreacting, Claire," she stated. After all, it was just a violin. Lives, living, breathing, human lives, were worried for her own sake. What did she do? Throw a tantrum and lock herself in her room for two days. "I acted like a toddler, and I still have the show to worry about." She drew a shaky breath and painted a reassuring smile on. She still wasn't okay. Close... But not completely.

Claire stared at her for a few seconds, then laughed and shook her head. "Alright, fine. But you have to get a date to watch the fireworks with!" she cheeped, sticking her tongue out teasingly.

Althea glared at her. "No," she replied, "I'm not going with a guy. No dates. No." She pouted her lower lip and her blonde brows angled in. She'd already had enough of the Mineral Town boys.

"Oh, come on!" Claire protested, hands on hips.

Althea stared her down like a wolf stalking prey.

"Okay, okay," Claire mumbled, throwing her hands up, "I'm sorry for not being serious or whatever."

Althea smiled sadly, eyelids drooping. "I forgive you," she muttered sleepily. She felt tired. Very tired. She realized she hadn't eaten in a day, but that didn't matter. "Goodnight," she muttered, shuffling back to the bed and collapsing onto it. She could faintly hear Claire's chuckles and the door closing, though distant and neither sound really registered.

* * *

After several minutes of date checking, watch tapping, and general freaking out, Althea decided she'd skip out on the festival show. She convinced herself to leave the next day, but she'd still attend the Fireworks Festival. It was a perfect chance to wear the yukata she'd packed. Besides, she needed some time to relax and have a little fun. It couldn't take the worry away... But it could help.

As the time ticked away, she dabbed makeup on her face and walked to her suitcase. She pulled out her magenta, floral-patterned yukata and its accessories.

The starched fabric glided over her skin. She wrapped the sash carefully, pinning everything in place with a glance out at the darkening sky. Her watch read five fifteen. Although the fireworks weren't until the sun went down, Mineral Town had many festivities prepared for the event.

She learned from Karen that it was a big drinking night. The female had also brought some home-cooked food prepared by her mother (she wanted to cook it herself, but her mother wouldn't allow it). Apparently Karen's cooking skills were horrendous.

Ah, well, the food was good anyway. She still tasted the seared beef and steamed vegetables in her mouth.

Pinning up her curled, golden hair into a bun, she grabbed a light blue hair clip from her bag and pinned it on. She stared at her image in the vanity mirror. Something was missing. She smacked her lips in thought, then it dawned on her. Fingers nimbly ruffling through her makeup container, she brought out a tube of ruby red lipstick and glided it on to her lips, capping the lipstick and dropping it back into the case. "Perfection," she grinned.

"Hey there, girlie!" Claire shouted, not bothering to knock.

Althea jumped back and put a hand over her heart. "You people have _got_ to stop doing that!" she barked. She stared at Claire incredulously.

Claire snickered, "Hah, you're like, 'wait a second, I remember this crazy chick now.'" She gave a smirk and twirled the pouch in her hands. "Anyway, you're yukata is _fabulous_!" she exclaimed.

Oh ho, she hadn't forgotten for one second how crazy Claire was. "Thanks!" Althea winked, "yours looks equally fabulous, my friend." She nodded toward Claire's navy yukata, dotted with pale yellow Moon Drops. The sash around her waist was the same yellow color as the flowers, and an orange ribbon tied around the sash, as well as an orange pouch and fan, brought the outfit together.

"Thank you very much," Claire thanked her with a little bow.

Althea glanced down at her blue sash and dark pink yukata. She had no ribbon, fan or pouch. To say she felt inadequate would be a bit of an understatement.

As if reading her mind, Claire offered words of consolation, "Hey, you'll be fine! We're in a rural village, remember? You won't be the only one with just a simple yukata." With a cheery grin, she walked over to her friend and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We should go. It's five thirty," she stated.

Althea nodded. "Alright. Let's do it, then," she sighed, her sandals shuffling on the carpet as they walked out of the room. She took a deep breath and tilted her chin up. _I'll go and have fun. I need it. If not for myself, I'll do it for Claire... And the others._

* * *

_So, I still dunno where exactly I'm going with this. I hope that it still keeps interest, ahaha... (-w-') I feel like this story's main point is just about exploring Althea's life and personality. It is meant to be a pairing fic, I guess, but it's suddenly become so much more than that. Although I came into this with barely any idea of plot, things are starting to come together, and I have a small but dedicated group of people following the story. :)_

_Anyway, thank you so so sooo much to those still with me! To my newest reviewer: Ahaha, thank you! I always connect trains with Rover, and am thoroughly delighted you thought it clever. ;) Thanks for taking time to read and review!_


	9. Forgiven?

_Chapter 8_

_Forgiven?_

By the time they arrived, literally everyone in Mineral Town was already on the beach. Drinks were all around, Stu and May were trying to build a sandcastle in the evening hues of the sky. _Well_, they didn't have drinks. That'd be ridiculous.

Much to her delight, the other young ladies were wearing yukatas. She and Claire made their way across the sand to where the others stood.

"Curse this stupid sand," Althea muttered, pulling off her sandals and socks and tossing them up to top of the concrete ramp. She flashed a smile at everyone when they ran over to greet the two girls.

They all literally screamed Claire's name and ran to hug her. With a little less gusto, they all took turns greeting Althea and giving her that friendly side-hug. She smiled and nodded at each of them, greeting them in turn.

"Claire, y-you look so pretty! I-I couldn't q-quite fit into mine... It's too big..." a mousish, dark-haired girl muttered. She nervously pushed her glasses up her petite nose and gave a sheepish smile to Claire.

Claire looked slightly dumbfounded for a moment, then perked up. "Well, I think it suits you! You look pretty, Mary!" she cheered.

"Thank you. That sounds nice, even if you're just saying that," she cooed.

Althea stopped stalking their conversation when she felt a light tap on her shoulder, turning to see a familiar face. "Oh, hi Elli," she greeted the mousy-haired nurse.

"Hello... Again!" she giggled, "How are you doing? Are you okay? Pardon for saying so, but this whole thing hasn't gone over real well with you. Are you alright?" Concern was traced into the lines of her face, making her appear older.

Althea had to ponder her answer for a moment. Was someone besides Claire actually worried for her? That's a first. "I'm- uh... I'm alright. Karen brought me dinner from Sasha earlier. Um... I've almost gotten over the fact my violin is now useless, and-" she coughed, dabbing a finger at the tears forming in her eyes. Goddess, how infuriating those tears were... "I think I'm doing okay, Elli."

She nodded, her gentle smile widening. "Well, if you really say so. That's wonderful! Oh," her eyes widened as if remembering something, "I didn't realize the shell you gave me was already sealed! So, um, I guess I should thank you for saving me the trouble, even if you didn't know it'd be for someone else." She tilted her head and clasped her hands together in front of her.

Althea laughed lightly, swiping a gold lock out of her eyes. "Oh, um, no problem, I guess," she grinned. For a moment, the two girls just smiled and glanced around at the festivities.

"You know," Elli spoke up, "he feels pretty guilty about it."

Althea snapped her head toward Elli. "Hm?" She furrowed her brow, then the meaning dawned on her. "You mean... Trent?" she asked, just to be sure.

The nurse gave a gentle nod. "Yeah. Even though he knows it was an accident, it's been eating him up lately. He feels even worse about not helping you. The truth is, he probably just didn't know how to help," she sighed.

Well, giving it thought, it made a lot of sense, she supposed. Trent was a doctor, and doctors fix things. So, in the end, his resolve wavered when he can't fix things. Althea understood things a little better, realizing she was the exact same way; if their roles in the situation swapped, she'd probably just want assurance that she wasn't hated for something she couldn't control. "Okay. Alright. Ah, I... I think I'll talk with him," she smiled. Finally, just something she could manage herself.

Elli lifted her head, perking up and putting on her feminine little smile. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Well, after I take part in a little partying," Althea verified, giving a wink she guessed looked a lot more awkward than she thought.

Elli giggled. She looked over her shoulder at Karen laughing raucously at something Kai blurted, slamming her drink on the table and sloshing it everywhere.

"Well, that didn't take long," Althea stated.

"That's Karen for you. She has, well, she's... Partial to alcohol," Elli gulped.

Something trivial as addiction lied in a small village like Mineral Town. Well, something like addiction, anyways. "The struggle is real," she mumbled sarcastically, watching Karen's boisterous motion and giddy snigger.

Elli laughed dryly, the same laugh she bubbled when ushering Trent back to his work after meeting Althea.

She recalled that Claire mentioned Elli's affections for the man. Goddess, what did that mean, then? Elli didn't seem the jealous type, but she clearly displayed slightly bitter behavior toward the action. A shiver danced down her spine. She decided to leave the thought be and move on, a little scared at what that train of thought might've led to.

"Oh," Elli piped, "an event is starting soon."

"Really? What event?" her eyebrows shot up.

Feminine hands slapped their backs. "An eating contest!" Ann bellowed, a cheery grin stretching her face.

Althea grimaced. She never was one for eating a whole lot. Unless it was rice. She could it rice all day. Mm... Rice.

"Eh, I think I'll skip out. Last year was enough for me," Elli declined.

Ann laughed and tossed her head. "Aw, come on! I swear it won't happen again." Her face turned deadly serious, though it looked comical on someone so outgoing like Ann.

Elli covered what would have been a very unladylike laugh with her hand, cheeks dusted with pink.

Ann's face flushed a bright red. "H-Hey! It was an accident!" she protested.

"Well, I won't ask," Althea stated, eyebrows shooting up.

Ann removed her hand from Althea's back, scratching the base of her ginger head. "There was an _incident_ last year. I'm glad you don't want the details," she grumbled.

Elli was shaking with suppressed giggles, her petite face stuffed into her hands.

"Just stop it already!" Ann barked, stomping a foot down and putting her hands on her hips.

Elli shook her head, still trying to contain herself.

"Rrrgh! I give up!" Ann roared.

No longer feeling like part of the conversation, Althea backed away slowly and turned toward the shore. The sky had begun to paint the waves with brilliant golden hues as people made their way toward the shacks for the contest. Many still stood scattered about the sands. She remained still, gazing out at the sluggishly setting sun, Ann's attempts to quell Elli's laughter slowly fading from her conciousness.

She was quite literally bumped out of her thoughts when someone gently collided with her.

"Oh, I am terribly... Sorry..."

She peered behind her at a pale face framed by a shock of coal dust hair.

"No, it's fine," she replied quietly.

He stood and stared at her for a few seconds, though it felt much longer. "No, it's not fine," he said after what felt like an eternity, "And I apologize. For everything."

She blurted out an answer, "I forgive you." Why on earth did she just... Say that? She did forgive him, but her answer was so quick, so...

His face pulled into a warm smile. "Really? Well, that makes me rather glad," he responded.

She couldn't seem to jerk her thoughts away from how it felt like her entire existence seemed to let out a sigh of relief. He was sorry. She forgave him. Maybe life wasn't so damn hard after all. "I'm glad it makes you... Glad," she laughed awkwardly.

He let out a chuckle and shook his head. "I really feel bad about refusing to help you. I mean, if it wasn't for me, the violin wouldn't have been broken," he confessed.

She waved a hand and replied calmly, "Nonsense. This was completely out of our control, especially yours. Though, if you're looking to blame, I suppose we're both at fault, but life goes on, you know?" She shrugged in a nonchalant fashion and looked away from him. Luckily she no longer felt weird in his presence. Instead of the sickening, nauseous feeling from before, it was replaced with an assuring sort of warmth, like how she felt around Claire. Perhaps the warmth was a bit more intense than around Claire, but it was nice nontheless.

He studied her for a moment, eyes almost twinkling with an unknown thought, then mysteriously returned to their dull earthy, dark brown. He rubbed his clean-shaven chin. "Yes. It does. Funny thing about life," he mused, "But anyway, if you need help, I'm willing to do something."

"Something?" She raised a brow.

"I'm no doctor in music, I assure you," he retorted, raising a dark brow of his own.

She chortled at the sentiment. "I can see that!" she laughed, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

He rumbled a deep-throated chuckle. "I guess I really don't look like an artistic guy. Oh, are you competing in the contest?" he inquired, ruffling his already slightly messy dark hair. For a well-kept man like him, his hair was a little tousled, as if he'd spent the night researching or something.

She decided not to say anything about the former statement, but jumped to the latter. "Er... No," she shook her head.

"Ah, I wasn't expecting you to anyway. You look thin, so I figured it wasn't your thing. Er, not that being thin is a terrible thing, you see. I mean, ah-"

Althea cut off his stumbling speech with a hearty laugh at his expense. "Calm down! I don't take offense at statements like that, as long as it's all in good nature. It's okay, really," she stated, adjusting her floral hairclip.

He brought a hand to his temple. "I-I see," he replied simply.

Althea looked at him and smiled.

Just then, a shrill whistle blew and the beach fell silent. "Competitors!" Zack, the local delivery man, boomed through what sounded like a megaphone, "You have five more minutes to sign up for the eating contest! This year's theme is- er-" his voice crackled and faded out.

She moved closer, seeing Zack bending over and Thomas whispering into his ear. Zack straightened up and brought the megaphone to his mouth. "Rice dishes! This year's theme is rice dishes, everyone! Again, five minutes! See ya then!" he barked. The burly man stepped off the platform with the table on it and put the megaphone down.

She couldn't believe her ears. Rice dishes! She dabbed a thumb at the corner of her mouth to prevent a bead of drool from dribbling down her chin. "Goddess help me," she mumbled.

"Hm, well, shall we watch, then?" Trent questioned, looking down at her.

"_You_ can. I'm participating," she declared, stalking off toward the platform. She didn't know why she was doing it, nor did she care. She hadn't eaten much in a few days, anyway, feeling hungry even after Sasha's filling delivery earlier that evening.

She marched up to Zack and sharply poked him in the shoulder. "Sign me up. I'm participating," she demanded.

For a few awkward seconds, the man stared at her with a dumb expression. Then, he burst out laughing.

She'd expected such a reaction, anyway, responding, "I'm serious. Does this look like a joking face?" She gestured to her pursed lips and downturned brow.

Zack sobered immediately. "Wait, seriously? This isn't a contest for the faint of heart, no matter how innocent it seems," he smirked.

Faint of heart. Innocent. Her blood started to simmer, fists clenched and jaw set. "Just watch me. _Watch me_," she ground out.

"Woah," he frowned, "I-I'll sign you up, Miss, and you'll be competing in a moment. Just... Er... Don't kill yourself. You're still young," he frowned.

She turned away to stem any sharp retorts from lashing out, uttering a simple "Thanks," instead. Althea looked to the platform where many villagers were finding a seat along the stretched table. Where'd they even get a table that long? No matter. An empty seat next to Kai beckoned her, calling out for her to sit and prepare for rice bowl after rice bowl.

_I'll do this. I'll show them! It'll be fun. Right? Haha, of course. It's just rice. It'll be fine... Right?_

* * *

_Oops. I didn't die. QAQ_

_I'm sorruuuuuu D: Anyway, I've been super busy with school. (Pah, stupid history class. Luckily my teacher enjoyed the 2 page paper I spent ten hours writing because I COULD FIND ZERO INFORMATION. *cough*) I'm actually really liking the course of this story. I like the pacing and so far I'm pleased with my characterizations. I feel like I've got a nice little slice of life goin on. :) _

_Anyway, I know I said I'd focus more on Althea and Claire's relationship, but as I developed the story more, you can see that her feelings toward her begin to border on bitterness as Claire's shown kindness Althea hasn't felt in a long time. Althea feels left out, I suppose._

_Also, if you recall, I mentioned Althea's travel agent. He's not out of the picture. I think he and our good friend Rover will pop up from time to time ;)_

_REVIEWS BBY_

_Lilybud: I was rolling around in rainbow glitter when I saw all those reviews omg. Anyway, thank you for all the support QwQ and yes, Kai is a big part of this story. XD I feel that Althea will reluctantly have to deal with every human being in the village whether she likes it or not. ;) I was wary about the introductions, but I felt it'd be crucial. I'm glad that Stu gave you a laugh there, because I thought of the typical church kid answer to questions like that XD. I actually did not draw the cover illustration. :o Thank you very much~! I know you might be mad it took so long ehehe •w•"_

_AldoniaAlma: Eeheehee. Lol Claire. I feel like that's how it'd go. Trent is too serious to take Claire seriously. And if he told her his name she'd be too distracted to remember anyway. *gasp* I feel honored to have provoked the FANGIRL emotion :0_


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